The suggestion that phonics should be fast and first [1] implies that if code knowledge is not mastered in the first years of schooling, then any residual knowledge deficit beyond this may be difficult to overcome. If phonics is a boat that must be caught early, then what are the effects on reading when the boat is missed? This paper reports on the findings from an investigation into whether a systematic phonics intervention for older pupils with a deficit in their basic decoding skills but who were not evaluated as struggling readers, improved pupils’ basic decoding skills and whether any improvements in these skills resulted in improvements in reading fluency and comprehension. The study followed convenience sample of 125 pupils in four English primary schools from the beginning of their entry into year 5 (aged 9) and concluded at the end of year 6 – their final year in English primary school (aged 10/11). All pupils were assessed at the beginning of year 5 in their basic decoding skills, word recognition, reading fluency and reading comprehension and were assessed again after three and a half terms. An intervention group of 91 pupils received thrice-weekly systematic phonics instruction for three and a half terms. A comparison group of 34 pupils did not receives the intervention. The results from the study indicated that, contrary to previous suggestions, basic decoding skills in older pupils can be improved through regular systematic phonics instruction and that the resultant improvements in code knowledge appeared to have a positive effect on word recognition, reading accuracy, reading rate and reading comprehension compared with no specific instruction. The study concluded that where older pupils lack comprehensive basic decoding skills, a programme of systematic code instruction which remedies this deficit should be introduced.
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